Academics

How to choose or change your major at CU �Ǹ�Թ�

Chloe Fischer — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:00:40 +0000

How to choose or change your major at CU �Ǹ�Թ� Chloe Fischer Fri, 09/25/2026 - 12:00

Learn how to compare majors, consider career possibilities and use CU �Ǹ�Թ� resources to help you decide what your next step could be.

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CU �Ǹ�Թ� in top 10 nationally for multiple undergrad programs, says US News & World Report

Greg B Swenson — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:41:12 +0000

CU �Ǹ�Թ� in top 10 nationally for multiple undergrad programs, says US News & World Report Greg B Swenson Tue, 09/22/2026 - 08:41

Several CU �Ǹ�Թ� undergraduate programs have earned top 10 spots among public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2027 "Best Colleges" rankings.

Among public institutions, CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s rankings in the top 10 were aerospace engineering at No. 6 (or No. 10 overall—including private universities); environment/environmental health engineering at No. 7 (No. 11 overall); real estate at No. 9 (No. 14 overall); civil engineering at No. 10 (No. 14 overall).

Rounding out the top 20 were chemical engineering at No. 11 (No. 19 overall); computer science at No. 16 (No. 34 overall); and psychology at No. 17 (No. 37 overall).

Economics also excelled, coming in at No. 21 (No. 54 overall).

CU �Ǹ�Թ�'s College of Engineering and Applied Science is ranked No. 14 nationally (No. 26 overall) and the business program at the Leeds School of Business landed the No. 21 spot (No. 33 overall).

Overall, CU �Ǹ�Թ� ranks No. 50 in the nation among public institutions (or No. 109 overall).

U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on measures of academic peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

The full rankings are posted on the U.S. News website. U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings for graduate programs are issued in the spring.

Leeds remains in the top 6% of public and private business schools in 2027 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Several CU �Ǹ�Թ� undergraduate programs have earned top 10 spots among public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2027 "Best Colleges" rankings.

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CU �Ǹ�Թ� receives $2M NSF award to expand pathways for low-income STEM students

Emma Holst — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 19:57:39 +0000

CU �Ǹ�Թ� receives $2M NSF award to expand pathways for low-income STEM students Emma Holst Fri, 09/18/2026 - 13:57

Emma Holst

This scholarship program will combine financial support, academic advising, mentoring and career development to help Colorado students persist and thrive in STEM fields.

CU �Ǹ�Թ� has earned a $2 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to open new pathways for low-income Colorado students pursuing degrees in some of the nation’s fastest-growing science and technology fields.

Through the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program, known as S-STEM, CU �Ǹ�Թ� will support 24 students across two cohorts in eligible STEM majors connected to artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, quantum computing and sensing, and biotechnology. Students who remain eligible and continue making academic progress may receive support through the rest of their undergraduate programs, for up to five years.

Reducing barriers to graduation

Rebecca Machen

For Rebecca Machen, assistant teaching professor in mathematics and a partner on the project, the award recognizes both the promise of CU �Ǹ�Թ� students and the practical obstacles that can shape their college experience.

“Many STEM students participating in academic programs through the Student Academic Success Center have the academic preparation, motivation and ability to be successful in STEM majors,” Machen said. “However, financial barriers can limit their access to the full range of opportunities available to them as students.”

When students have to close financial gaps on their own, academics can become only one of many competing demands—that can mean working more hours while enrolled, taking fewer credits or taking longer to graduate. In preparation for the S-STEM proposal, the project team reviewed institutional data and found STEM students who qualify for financial aid persist at lower rates and often take longer to graduate than their academic peers.

The data pointed to a clear opportunity: Financial support is essential, but it is most powerful when paired with the advising, connection and academic scaffolding that help students navigate demanding STEM pathways. Roughly 16% of CU �Ǹ�Թ� undergraduates meet NSF guidelines for financial support through S-STEM, pointing to a meaningful population of students who could benefit from the initiative.

“Our goal with the S-STEM program is to provide additional resources that allow these students to more fully participate in their majors and the university community,” Machen said.

Building on a foundation of student success

The initiative extends work already underway through the Student Academic Success Center, or SASC, where students can access proactive advising, academic resources, community-building programs, and trained faculty and staff who understand the needs of students from low-income backgrounds.

It also grows out of earlier campus experiences with NSF S-STEM funding through the Red Shirt Program. Insights from that work helped identify critical moments in a student’s trajectory, including the move into upper-division STEM coursework, when targeted support can make a meaningful difference in whether students stay on track.

Pairing financial support with community

For selected scholars, the award is intended to ease immediate financial pressure while connecting them with a broader network of support. Along with scholarship funding, students will have access to advising, mentoring, tutoring, smaller foundational STEM courses and summer coursework support when appropriate.

The cohort model is another central part of the program. By moving through experiences with peers, scholars will have more opportunities to form relationships, share challenges and build a stronger sense of community within their areas of study and across campus.

“We believe that reducing some of the financial barriers students experience, while also building academic and community support around them, can help create more equitable pathways toward STEM degrees,” Machen said.

Support will change as students advance. Early programming will emphasize academic belonging, foundational coursework and campus connection. Later, scholars will focus on more intentional professional development, with faculty mentors helping students identify experiences that match their interests, whether that means joining a lab, pursuing an internship, presenting at a conference or considering graduate school.

The program will also draw on existing campus strengths, including the Research and Innovation Office (RIO), the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and career-development resources within colleges. Collaborations with the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Leeds School of Business will help students translate classroom learning into career readiness, professional networks and a clearer understanding of where their degree can lead.

“We hope students leave CU �Ǹ�Թ� not only with a STEM degree but also with the experiences, relationships and professional networks that can help them move into the next stage of their careers,” Machen said.

A model for university-wide impact

Beyond the direct student support, the award gives CU �Ǹ�Թ� a chance to study a coordinated model that brings financial assistance, academic resources, community and career preparation together in one program.

As the project unfolds, the university will assess how those elements influence persistence, degree completion and students’ movement into STEM careers or graduate study. Findings will be shared with academic departments, colleges and student-support programs across campus.

In that sense, the scholarship is designed to do more than lower the cost of attendance. It reflects a broader university commitment to helping Colorado students finish their degrees and prepare for careers in fields that will shape Colorado and the nation.

For scholars, that connected experience means more time to focus on coursework, stronger ties to the university and their peers, earlier access to research and professional opportunities, and the support to carry their ambitions forward.

This scholarship program will combine financial support, academic advising, mentoring and career development to help Colorado students persist and thrive in STEM fields.

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Protect your discoveries before you publish them

Chloe Fischer — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:10:45 +0000

Protect your discoveries before you publish them Chloe Fischer Thu, 09/17/2026 - 13:10

As a researcher, creator or inventor at CU �Ǹ�Թ�, your work has the potential to change the world. Protecting these innovations ensures they reach their full potential benefit to society while securing recognition and opportunities for you.

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Celebrating 40 years of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

Chloe Fischer — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:35:21 +0000

Celebrating 40 years of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Chloe Fischer Mon, 09/14/2026 - 15:35

CU �Ǹ�Թ� has an expansive history of engaging undergraduates in the dynamic research and creative life of the campus dating to the creation of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program in 1986. Celebrate 40 years of UROP as the university marks its 150th anniversary.

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CU �Ǹ�Թ� postdoc awarded $600K grant to study social bonds, brain aging

Chloe Fischer — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 19:18:09 +0000

CU �Ǹ�Թ� postdoc awarded $600K grant to study social bonds, brain aging Chloe Fischer Wed, 09/09/2026 - 13:18

Michael Kelberman has received a Simons Foundation Fellows-to-Faculty Award, which supports early-career scientists as they transition from postdoctoral research to independent faculty positions.

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What are office hours? Here's why you should go

Megan M Rogers — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:05:46 +0000

What are office hours? Here's why you should go Megan M Rogers Fri, 08/28/2026 - 11:05

Meeting with your professor early in the semester can help you feel more confident, understand class expectations and make it easier to ask questions later. Here's how to make the most of office hours.

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Entrepreneurship Center for Music expands leadership series, artist programming

Megan M Rogers — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:24:26 +0000

Entrepreneurship Center for Music expands leadership series, artist programming Megan M Rogers Mon, 08/24/2026 - 11:24

The College of Music Entrepreneurship Center for Music will expand its student programming this year with several key grants from across campus.

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CU �Ǹ�Թ�'s Masters of the Environment capstone recognized for innovation in sustainability education

Megan M Rogers — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:39:39 +0000

CU �Ǹ�Թ�'s Masters of the Environment capstone recognized for innovation in sustainability education Megan M Rogers Thu, 08/20/2026 - 08:39

Alice Reznickova, Masters of the Environment capstone lead and associate teaching professor, speaks during the National Sustainability Society conference awards ceremony. To the right of the podium are Natalie Ooi, MENV director and teaching professor; Laura George, MENV career and professional development program manager; and Myles Maland, director of department administration in the Department of Environmental Studies.

CU �Ǹ�Թ�'s Masters of the Environment (MENV) capstone program has been named a recipient of the Innovations in Sustainability Education Award by the National Sustainability Society at their third annual conference. The national award recognizes outstanding innovations in degree programs that prepare and empower learners to be agents of transformative change through inclusive, systems-oriented and interdisciplinary learning opportunities.

This year's conference theme—courage, credibility and collective action—reflects values that sit at the core of what the MENV capstone program instills in all students.

“We are so proud of receiving this award. It celebrates the impact of our team, our students and our partner organizations over the last decade. That impact is a product of investment. When you commit real resources and time into students and into reciprocal partnerships, you get work that matters, for our community and for the partners we serve,” capstone lead Alice Reznickova shared.

The recognition affirms the capstone program as a leading model of sustainability work. The MENV capstone places all graduate students in direct partnership with external organizations to tackle real sustainability and climate challenges. Since its inception, MENV students have completed nearly 250 projects, and with each one, the program's network of partners, alumni and real-world impact continues to grow.

Just this past year, 78 students invested more than 46,800 hours across 26 projects with nonprofits, municipalities, private companies and state agencies, producing deliverables that informed policy, advanced organizational strategy and created measurable outcomes for communities across Colorado and beyond. By functioning as graduate-level consultants rather than traditional interns, MENV students bring prior professional experience and sustainability expertise to every project.

The capstone program's approach is rooted in the belief that meaningful progress on sustainability requires more than technical expertise—it requires the courage to engage in complex, real-world problems; the credibility that comes from rigorous, applied work; and the ability to collaborate across sectors and communities.

Read the 2025 MENV Capstone Impact Report (PDF)

Under the guidance of their faculty advisor and capstone partner, students have a real impact on their communities and leave equipped to contribute to the kind of collective action the sustainability field demands. What further distinguishes the program is how intentionally it weaves career development into the capstone experience, so that applied project work and professional growth advance hand in hand.

“Partnering with Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has given me exactly the combination of experiences I hoped to get out of MENV: deep learning, strong professional connections and the chance to see my work create tangible impact. As I look toward full-time opportunities after graduation, this experience has become a genuine stepping stone and proof of what I can contribute in professional settings,” Norman Kalen, a second-year MENV student, shared.

As MENV enters its 10th year, this national recognition affirms the program's role as a global model for how professional graduate education can drive lasting, meaningful change.

The National Sustainability Society has honored the graduate capstone program with its Innovations in Sustainability Education Award, recognizing a decade of student-led projects that pair real-world impact with professional growth.

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Using AI in your classes: What every Buff should know

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:39:35 +0000

Using AI in your classes: What every Buff should know Megan M Rogers Tue, 08/18/2026 - 10:39

Before you use AI for coursework, make sure you understand your instructor's guidelines. Following your course expectations and the Honor Code will help you use AI responsibly while protecting your academic integrity. Here are three things to know.

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Academics

How to choose or change your major at CU �Ǹ�Թ�

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CU �Ǹ�Թ� in top 10 nationally for multiple undergrad programs, says US News & World Report

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CU �Ǹ�Թ� receives $2M NSF award to expand pathways for low-income STEM students

Reducing barriers to graduation

Building on a foundation of student success

Pairing financial support with community

A model for university-wide impact

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